The Prom From Hell
by its-never-lupus
Summary: I didn't like my own prom, so I'm twisting it around...the opening bit kind of happened, I changed a few names. Mia is NOT me, God forbid I get that weepy EVER! Please review!


A/N: Don't ask…I got into a 'Let's-emulate-Stephen-King' mode, I guess. Yeah…a blockbuster, this won't be. Read on, tell me what you think!

"You know, I don't even know why we're here" Mia said, shifting and fidgeting in her seat.

"Honey, you're here because you and your friend saw someone you both knew become the victim of a very painful, heinous death. You may not have seen the act itself, but the aftermath can sometimes be just as bad, if not worse" said the psychologist, trying to put the two nervous teenagers at ease. The courts had referred the two of them to her, simply because they were the first two on the scene, and the boy-Dutchy? Not his real name, obviously a nickname-had just about had a nervous breakdown.

The girl, oddly enough, having been the first on the scene, was relatively calm about the whole thing, but Dr. Larkson knew it was just a matter of time before she exploded from holding it all in.

"Well…" she said, searching for a way to break the ice. "Why don't we just start with what you both remember? If you remember something, please wait for the other to finish speaking, but feel free to contribute at any time. Now, Mia, you go first. Start from wherever you can remember."

Mia tilted her head back, trying to remember back the three or so months it had been since their junior prom. It wasn't hard, the memories were just…very close to the surface, painful…very fresh.

She took a deep breath and began.

"I arrived with my friends just after 9:30. The service at the restaurant was kinda slow, and David's friend went to the wrong spot, for some reason or other. Then we took some wrong turns, stopped for gas, etc. Once we got there, I could tell I wasn't going to have too great of a time…they played, like, four rap songs in a row."

"Not a good way to set the tone for the evening" Dutchy said listlessly.

Mia shot him a sidelong look, and then continued speaking. "I saw Nathan-Dutchy's twin-and his girlfriend, so I was looking around for him too, to see him in a tux, 'cause it's something you almost never see."

Dutchy smiled humorlessly. "How'd I look?" he asked in the same lackluster voice.

"You looked dashing. Honestly" she said, taking his hand.

"Go on, dear" Dr. Larkson prompted.

"I didn't see him till later on, but I was determined not to obsess about it, and to have a good time. I saw my friend Katie, who I almost never see, and her boyfriend, among others. Eventually, my mouth started to get dry, and I went out to get a drink of water and use the restroom. I saw Dutchy then, and he said he was waiting for his date. I said something along the lines of 'Good', I think, and went into the bathroom."

"And that's when you saw her?" asked Dr. Larkson.

Mia's bright brown eyes filled with tears at the memory. "Yes" she managed to choke out. Dutchy squeezed her hand.

"Go on, babe" he said reassuringly. "Whatever you remember will help"

She offered a weak smile in return. "I walked in, and you have to go around a corner to get to the stalls, and I didn't hear any voices, or flushing, or anything like that. So, naturally, I assumed it was empty." She broke down at this point, and her whole body started to shudder with sobs. She took a few deep breaths to try to collect herself, and wiped her eyes furiously with a Kleenex.

"That's when I noticed the shoe dangling near my right arm." Then she broke down completely and didn't talk again for the rest of the session, except for little tidbits here and there.

"I guess I'll pick up here" Dutchy said, squeezing her hand again. "About ten seconds-literally-after she went in, she came back out slowly, walking backwards, and her eyes were about the size of quarters. I think I made some lame joke about gossiping girls-she's never had much tolerance for them. She just shook her head, like that wasn't what was making her look like she'd just seen a ghost. 'Dutchy' she said, her voice shaking a little bit. 'Is your date the one in the purple dress, short brown hair, kinda skinny?'"

"I said yeah, but I had no idea where this was going at the time. I just assumed she was gonna say something like, 'She's washing her hands, she'll be out in a minute'. But when she didn't speak again for another minute, I asked her what the matter was. She didn't respond for awhile, but when she did, but she finally said, 'Your date isn't doing so good.' So I just grabbed her shoulders and asked her to just tell me what the HELL the matter was. She looked both ways, and since there was no one around, pulled me inside. That's when…that's when…" His voice trailed off.

"That's when he saw her hanging from the ceiling" Mia supplied.

"Then what did you do?" Dr. Larkson asked.

"Mia pulled out her phone and started to dial 911, but her fingers were shaking so much she almost dropped it. So I did, and told the operator the address, etc., etc. The cops showed up about three minutes behind the ambulance."

"And…now…we're here" Mia finished lamely.

"And you will be, for the next two months, at least" Dr. Larkson said, making a note on her legal pad. "That's the amount of time the courts have mandated. But anyway, we're done for the day, both of you are scheduled for another appointment next week. If you ever need to talk, please don't hesitate to call, my home number is on the back of the cards you have."

The two nodded, and they rose to go. Mia gathered up her purse, gave Dr. Larkson a hug, then headed back out into the reception area. Dutchy shook the doctor's hand, and followed her out.

Dr. Larkson sighed and read over her notes again. Those poor kids…she'd do all she could, but some memories never truly fade.

A/N: I'm surprised at myself…I got this written in under an hour…GO ME! I know, I know, it's kind of dark, and rest assured, it will get darker. I hated my prom, so I'm using it to my advantage…like a plotline for a murder mystery! Plz review!


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